CNC multi spindle screews machine: set up time of only 15 minutes
THE HEART OF LINEA SPINDLE'S DESIGN
Set-up time is at the heart of Linea Spindle’s design, with a set-up time of only 15 minutes!
But let’s start at the beginning. What is set-up time? Set-up time is the time that elapses from finishing the last unit of a production series to starting the first of another.
One of the aspects you need to address if you want to remain flexible in responding to market demands is precisely the rigidity of production processed characterized by high tooling and production change times.
Let’s not forget that one of the fundamental principles of Lean Manufacturing is the continual improvement of processes and the rapid adaptation of production to changes in needs, leading to greater efficiency, flexibility and productivity. The faster the set-up time is, the fewer and shorter stoppages are, resulting in less waste in the overall production process.
The truly unique feature of Linea Spindle is not only the drastic reduction in set-up times, but the possibility of being able to retool the machine without ever having to fully stop the production cycle.
Impossible? Well, our machines are proof that it’s not. The trick lies in the setting and architecture of the machine itself, which is divided into two completely independent work areas.
Gianfranco Sala, CEO of Linea Spindle manufacturer Sala Srl, explains the secrets of the machines that make reduced set-up times their speciality:
To guarantee a fast set-up time, you need to ensure the work area can be cleaned as quickly as possible, which is extremely simple with front-facing, vertical spindles. It may seem like a mere trifle, but those working in our sector know it’s an aspect that simply can’t be taken for granted.
However, quick cleaning times are only one of the advantages, in set-up terms, that Linea Spindle offers.
Absolutely. A second way lean tooling times can have a positive impact is through the possibility of rapidly changing tool holders that have already been prepared away from the machine. In this regard, I have identified the best solution in Capto-type tool holders, an easy-to-use system given the structure of Linea Spindle. The same linear arrangement of tool holders makes changing tools a lot faster. Indeed, with Linea Spindle, there’s no need to rotate the turrets, which would be a further waste of time, as is the case with other production systems, since the tool holders are rigidly fixed to the machine structure.
What happens when there are many tools?
In a traditional multi spindle system, every tool interacts with every spindle, whether they are six or eight. What does this mean? It means that, during the set-up time, changing even one tool makes it necessary to check the pieces produced by all the spindles before restarting production. With Linea Spindle, on the other hand, each tool interacts with only one spindle, making it much faster to replace the tool, check just one piece and continue with production.
Therefore, no stoppage, and production can continue ...
Exactly. The so-called setbacks are eliminated, thanks to the structure of the machine itself, which is divided into two separate parts. This allows you to stop just one side of the machine, while the opposite side continues to work in total autonomy. So it’s a machine that’s not only easy to retool, but also never stops, because, while you’re retooling one side, the other continues to produce without stopping. The result is that machine downtimes are practically halved, allowing the machine to work continuously, while only half of it is stopped for retooling each time.
